A Mother’s Memory: The Pain That Sparked a Mental Health Startup

After losing his mom shortly after college, Drew Barvir set out on a journey to understand the complex connection between money, mental health, and meaning. In this episode, he opens up about how childhood arguments over finances shaped his earliest beliefs, how grief became a turning point, and why he built Sonar — a tech platform bringing accessible emotional support to students across the country. It’s a deeply personal story of loss, resilience, and reimagining what it means to feel financially and emotionally secure.